Third-Party Traffic and Music Import

The Schedule Manager can import daily traffic and music logs produced by third-party scheduling systems. The import files are normally plain-text .DIG files:

• Traffic records begin with 02.

• Music records begin with 03.

• Traffic and music should be exported as separate files.

• Each file should contain one calendar day.

• Cart numbers in the file must match cart numbers in the selected station’s AAE Audio Library.

The record contents—not merely the filename extension—determine whether the file is a traffic or music file.

Recommended Import Order

When using both traffic and music files:

1. Select the correct station.

2. Create and assign the appropriate clock.

3. Set the Air Schedule to the desired mode, normally Automation Mode.

4. Import the traffic file first.

5. Import the music file second.

6. Review the resulting Play Schedule.

7. Run Schedule Check.

8. Make and save any required manual adjustments.

Traffic should be imported first because the music importer uses traffic, clock events, IDs, and other fixed items as anchors, then places music into the available spaces around them.

Do not use Apply Clock after completing the imports unless you intend to rebuild the Play Schedule. Applying a clock replaces the Play Schedule events for the affected hour or day and may remove the imported traffic and music.

Third-Party Traffic Import

What the Traffic Import Does

The traffic importer reads Type 02 records, groups them by date and hour, and merges them with the station’s assigned clock. It keeps spots belonging to the same traffic cluster together and adjusts surrounding clock or music events to accommodate them.

If a traffic record corresponds with a Floating or Timed Break window and fits within that window, the importer can place the spot inside the break.

Traffic File Format

Traffic records use a fixed-width format:

The unused positions act as separators. A conceptual traffic record is:

02 1000           MORNING SHOW PROMO       0030 2 09 01 26 00 42 00                                                                 

02 DA1103   CONTEST DISCLAIMER               0030 2 09 01 26 00 42 00                                                                 

02 DA1226   MORNING SHOW PROMO       0030 2 09 01 26 01 42 00 

The spacing is important because this is a fixed-width format. The traffic system should pad short fields with spaces rather than shifting later fields.

Additional requirements:

• Use a two-digit year. The AAE interprets it as 20YY.

• The cart number field is limited to eight characters.

• Runtime should be the total number of seconds.

• Hours use the 24-hour clock.

• The first nonblank record must begin with 02.

How Traffic Is Merged

During the import, the AAE:

• Reads all valid 02 records.

• Groups records by their supplied date and hour.

• Uses the current or assigned clock for the affected hour.

• Resolves Song Category clock positions when needed.

• Inserts the traffic at or near its requested time.

• Keeps consecutive spots from the same traffic cluster together.

• Moves surrounding clock content to avoid collisions.

• Places eligible spots into Floating or Timed Break windows when they fit.

• Saves and refreshes each changed schedule hour.

Traffic clusters may move by approximately five minutes when necessary to fit the surrounding programming while preserving the cluster.

Reimporting Traffic

Reimporting traffic for an hour replaces the previously imported traffic and Type S traffic entries for that hour while retaining the applicable clock and nontraffic material. Always review manually inserted Type S carts after a reimport because they may also be treated as traffic.

Traffic Cart Rotations

The traffic file may reference a base cart number that has sequentially numbered library members. For example:

70000

70000-01

70000-02

70000-03

If the imported cart is 70000 and the AAE finds carts following the 70000-## pattern, it treats 70000 as a sequential rotation base. The importer selects an appropriate member using previous rotation history and selections already made during the import.

The individual rotation members must be present in the Audio Library and use a two-digit suffix.

Missing or Unavailable Traffic Carts

If a referenced cart number is not yet in the Audio Library, the traffic event can still be placed in the schedule. However, no audio file is created by the traffic import. The event will remain unavailable until a matching cart is added to the Audio Library.

Once audio is imported using that exact cart number, the scheduled event can use it. Run Schedule Check to find any traffic carts that are still missing.

If a cart exists but is before its Start Date or past its Kill Date, the AAE attempts to substitute a valid Type A cart with a runtime within approximately four percent of the original length. If no appropriate replacement is available, the event is skipped and reported in the import results.

Third-Party Music Import

What the Music Import Does

The music importer reads Type 03 records containing specific music cart numbers. It preserves traffic, clock events, IDs, sweepers, and other existing anchors, then places the imported songs into the available spaces around them.

This is different from Populate Hour (Song). Populate Hour chooses songs from AAE music categories, while Load Music follows the specific carts supplied by the third-party music scheduling system.

Music File Format

Music records are space-delimited rather than fixed-width. The required order is:

03 CartNumber Title RuntimeSeconds MM DD YY HH MM SS

The title may contain spaces because the final seven fields are always interpreted as:

1. Runtime in seconds

2. Month

3. Day

4. Year

5. Hour

6. Minute

7. Second

Example:

03 50024 Happy Together 199 09 10 26 14 03 00

This schedules cart 50024, titled Happy Together, with a supplied runtime of 199 seconds, in the 2:00 PM hour on September 10, 2026.

Requirements:

• The first nonblank record must begin with 03.

• Cart numbers cannot contain spaces.

• Runtime is supplied in seconds.

• The title may contain multiple words.

• Dates use MM DD YY.

• Times use HH MM SS in 24-hour format.

• Each line must contain at least the required fields.

• Use one calendar date per file.

If the runtime is missing or invalid, the importer uses a three-minute fallback. Accurate runtimes should therefore always be provided.

Importing the Music File

1. Open the Schedule Manager.

2. Confirm that the correct station is selected.

3. Import the traffic file first, if traffic is being used.

4. Click Load Music.

5. Select the third-party music .DIG or plain-text file.

6. Wait while the server processes the file.

7. Review the completion message.

8. The Schedule Manager will move to the first imported date and hour.

9. Review the imported songs and their placement around traffic and clock events.

10. Check that the schedule reaches the next hour without unexplained gaps.

11. Run Schedule Check.

How Music Is Merged

The music importer:

• Reads all valid 03 records.

• Groups the songs by their supplied date and hour.

• Retains existing traffic and other non-music schedule events.

• Retains the clock and Air Schedule.

• Loads the assigned clock when the Play Schedule is otherwise empty.

• Uses imported songs to fill the available spaces around existing events.

• Maintains the order of the imported music records.

• Allows the final song to extend slightly beyond the top of the next hour when needed.

• Drops remaining imported songs that cannot be placed in the hour.

• Reports the number of songs added and dropped.

The time supplied in a music record identifies its date, hour, and ordering position. During the merge, the exact start time may be adjusted so the song fits around traffic and other fixed schedule elements.

Reimporting Music

Music rows created by an earlier third-party music import are marked internally as imported music. Reimporting the music file removes those previous imported-music rows and inserts the new log while preserving traffic and other schedule elements.

Manually scheduled music and music created by the assigned clock are not automatically treated as previous third-party imports.

Missing or Unavailable Music Carts

The music file references existing Audio Library carts; it does not import audio files.

If a specified cart does not exist:

• The schedule may still contain the cart number.

• The event will not be playable until the matching audio is added.

• Schedule Check will report the unavailable audio.

If a cart exists but is outside its Start Date or Kill Date, the importer attempts to replace it with a valid Type A cart of approximately the same length. If no appropriate replacement is available, that music record is skipped.

Reviewing Import Results

The completion message may report:

• Changed hours

• Songs added

• Over-scheduled songs dropped

• Unsupported events ignored

• Unavailable carts skipped or replaced

• The first imported date and hour

After every import:

1. Inspect the first imported hour.

2. Review all other affected hours.

3. Confirm traffic clusters are complete and in the proper order.

4. Confirm imported music follows the expected sequence.

5. Check Floating and Timed Break contents.

6. Look for duplicate events, large gaps, or unusual overlaps.

7. Confirm that the schedule belongs to the correct station.

8. Run Schedule Check.

Schedule Check examines the upcoming seven days for missing audio, unavailable carts, Start/Kill Date conflicts, incomplete Fill breaks, and music separation issues.